Rutten Honored Among Top Dutch Athletes Ever

[NWOWolfpack]

Rutten Honored Among Top Dutch Athletes Ever



NEW YORK, June 4, 2010 – MMA Legend Bas “El Guapo” Rutten is among the award nominees as Heineken and the Grand Central Oyster Bar in New York celebrate the annual Holland Herring Festival with the “Salute to Dutch Sportsmen.” At the event, set for Thursday, June 10, sports media and fans will select the greatest athlete of Dutch heritage. Though he will not be in attendance at the event, Rutten is joined on the ballot by soccer players Edgar Davids, Johan Cruyff, Ruud Gullit, Marco Van Basten, Johan Neeskens, Robin Van Persie, Dennis Bergkamp and Frank Rijkaard, big league pitchers Bert Blyleven and Curt Schilling, NBA players Rik Smits, Kiki Vandeweghe and Keith Van Horn, U.S. Open Tennis champ Tom Okker, and track and field stars Fanny Blankers-Koen, a quadruple-gold medalist at the 1948 Summer Olympics, and Cornelius Warmerdam, Men's Pole Vault World Record Holder. The festivities take place from 6-8 p.m. The Grand Central Oyster Bar is located on the lower level of Grand Central Terminal at 42nd Street in New York City. For more information, fans can call 212-972-5337.

[NWOWolfpack]

Bas Rutten ties for second in "Greatest Dutch Sportsman" Media Voting


NEW YORK, June 16, 2010 -- MMA legend Bas Rutten finished tied for second for the "Greatest Dutch Sportsman" award in media balloting conducted by New York's historic Grand Central Oyster Bar.

Baseball's Bert Blyleven received the most votes, while Rutten and baseball's Jim Kaat were tied for second.

The promotion was in conjunction with the annual Holland Herring Festival at the iconic Manhattan seafood eatery and a Heineken Salute to Dutch Sportsmen, which was launched last week. Dutch herring from the Netherlands is air-expressed to New York for a two week period at the Oyster Bar. You could say that Blyleven "caught the big fish."

Johnny “Double No-Hit” Vander Meer, track and field greats Fanny Blankers-Koen and Cornelius Warmerdam, soccer legend Johan Cruyff and basketball sharpshooter Kiki Vandeweghe finished in a five-way tie for fourth.

Pitcher Curt Schilling, former Indiana Pacer center Rik Smits, U.S. Open tennis champion Tom Okker, veteran tennis standout Richard Krajicek, the Dutch kickboxer Semmy Schilt, Olympic gold medalist Anton Geesink, and three time Stanley Cup champion Joe Nieuwendyk also received votes. In two somewhat odd ballots, former Jets wide receiver Wayne Chrebet, because he was a “Flying Dutchman” as a collegiate player at Hofstra University, and the Yonkers Raceway harness driver Brett Holland, because of his last name, both received single votes.